The A's have cleared several obstacles in their pursuit of a new waterfront stadium at Oakland's Howard Terminal, and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has taken notice.
Manfred was in Seattle on Tuesday for the Mariners' game against the Astros, and discussed the A's and Rays' stadium situations with Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times.
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"I think that Oakland has made a lot of progress," Manfred said. "I think the identification of the Howard Terminal site as their preferred site is an important step forward. I think the progress they've made with respect to the possibility of development at the Coliseum site is also important given that the availability of public funding in the state of California is going to be very, very limited."
The A's are hoping to build a 34,000-seat ballpark, which would open in the spring of 2023. The current Coliseum site would be redeveloped to include new housing, offices, and restaurants, while keeping the original baseball diamond intact as part of a park.
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"I give (A's owner) John Fisher a lot of credit," Manfred said. "This is a difficult, difficult undertaking at this point in the history of the state of California. It's very different than it was two decades ago. They've shown a true commitment to the city of Oakland in terms of trying to get it done."
Oakland Athletics
Manfred also noted that the A's are ahead of the Rays in their plan for a new ballpark.